Explore the vast range of titles available.

\"BP Blowout is the first comprehensive account of the legal, economic, and environmental consequences of the disaster that resulted from the April 2010 blowout at a BP well in the Gulf of Mexico. The accident, which destroyed the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, killed 11 people. The ensuing oil discharge- the largest ever in U.S. waters-polluted much of the Gulf for months, wreaking havoc on its inhabitants and the environment. Daniel Jacobs tells the story that neither BP nor the federal government wants heard: how the company and the government fell short, both in terms of preventing and responding to the disaster.\"--book flap

Social Network Analysis (SNA), a quantitative approach to the study of social relations, has recently emerged as a key tool for understanding the governance of natural resources. Bringing together contributions from a range of researchers in the field, this is the first book to fully explore the potential applications of SNA in the context of natural resource management. Topics covered include the role of SNA in stakeholder selection; improving fisheries management and conservation; the effect of social network ties on public satisfaction and agrarian communication networks. Numerous case studies link SNA concepts to the theories underlying natural resource governance, such as social learning, adaptive co-management and social movements theory. Reflecting on the challenges and opportunities associated with this evolving field, this is an ideal resource for students and researchers involved in many areas of natural resource management, environmental biology, sustainability science and sociology.

This book is intended for use by natural resource managers and scientists, and students in the fields of natural resource management, ecology, and conservation biology, who are confronted with complex and difficult decision making problems.

Agriculture is one of the human endeavors that is highly dependent on agrometeorology. Agrometeorology, which is short for agricultural meteorology, is a multi-disciplinary endeavor to optimize crop productivity, through understanding atmosphere and related phenomena. This book discusses the general and application importance of agrometeorology. A level of difficulty is added in agrometeorology by its variability. Therefore, this book looks at some aspects of agrometeorology like radiation, energy balance and hydrology and how they affect physical chemical and biology factors in crop and animal farming. The book further provides the reader with some recommendations of how to adjust effect of climate on agricultural products based on crop and animal requirements. There is wide ranges of initiatives and innovations involved in management of climatic effect on agriculture, ranging from affordable to expensive. This book explains some initiatives and innovations that can be applied by small and large farmers and big organizations like governments in trying to achieve food security. Agrometeorology management can complex or easy and affordable or costly, this book shows the collaborative approach to advice technical processes, resource exploitation and land use for adequate inclusive sustainable agrometeorology management strategies.

In Tanzania, community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) of wildlife occurs through wildlife management areas (WMAs). The WMAs consist of multiple villages designating land and managing it for wildlife conservation in return for a portion of subsequent tourism revenues. The ecological success or failure of WMAs for wildlife conservation is rarely quantified but is important for evaluating the efficacy of specific projects and the general concept of CBNRM. I used 3 analyses to evaluate the ecological effectiveness of wildlife conservation actions in the Burunge WMA. I compared wildlife and livestock densities inside and outside a WMA using 1 year of distance sampling data and compared wild and domestic ungulate densities before and after the implementation of management changes that increased wildlife protections within a subsection of Burunge WMA using 6 years of distance sampling surveys. I also compared giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) survival and population growth rate before and after the implementation of management changes that increased wildlife protections in a subsection of Burunge WMA using 5 years of photographic capture-recapture data. I found greater densities of wildlife and lower densities of livestock inside the WMA compared with outside. After the management changes, I documented significantly higher densities of several wild ungulate species and lower densities of domestic ungulates in the WMA. I found giraffe survival and population growth rate both increased in response to the management changes. Results indicated the WMA is effectively providing habitat and protection for wild ungulates while generally excluding domestic livestock. Ungulate densities, and giraffe survival and population growth rate over time indicated the management changes enacted in 2014–2015 resulted in positive effects for wild ungulates. These combined results indicate the ecological effectiveness of Burunge WMA and provide evidence that CBNRM can have positive effects on wildlife populations, particularly when support to grassroots law enforcement is provided.

Taking a coordinated, holistic approach to the governance of coastal ecosystems is widely advocated in recognition of the need to manage ecosystems as a whole. Despite commitment to approaches such as integrated coastal zone management and ecosystem-based management of fisheries, governance remains fragmented, with sectors such as environment, fisheries and forestry maintaining separate systems of governance from the national to village level. These systems include the formation of separate community-based structures, reporting directly to the respective sectoral ministry. This raises questions about how this collaborative governance approach aligns with taking a more integrated, holistic approach to management. The paper draws on findings from research in Kenya and Zanzibar-Tanzania in coastal villages where forest and fisheries management groups have been formed. The research found that the groups operate in compartmentalised ‘silos’, in contrast to the interrelated ecosystems on which they depend, with little coordination of plans and priorities. In addition, these groups are not consistent in their relationship to local government, answering directly to the sectoral ministry rather than democratic local government, raising issues for accountability and sustainability. These dual challenges of a sectoral-focus and long-term sustainability must be addressed for management of ecosystems to be integrated and effective.

Reciprocal relations underscore the mutual caretaking obligations held between nature and society, as intertwining entities that are co-constituted with one another. In this paper, we draw from scholarship on human-nature relations, which emphasizes the intrinsic value and agency of non-human beings and the landscape. Building on this literature, we investigate the practice of reciprocal relations for exemplar communities in Hawaiʻi, British Columbia (Canada), the Appalachian mountain region (U.S.), and Madagascar that are all actively cultivating stewardship of natural resources in the face of economic, political, and ecological pressures. Our cases illustrate the diverse ways individuals and communities enact reciprocal relations and examine how these acts may increase community access to land and water. We show how communities mobilize reciprocal relations through both formal governance actions (e.g. management planning and legislation) and informal avenues (e.g. daily human-environment interactions). Our findings expand upon Ribot and Peluso’s theory of access by considering the multi-directional flows of benefits and responsibilities between people and places exemplified by reciprocal relations. By reframing environmental governance around mutual responsibilities, we hope to increase recognition of existing reciprocal place-based relationships, and facilitate greater community access to land, water, and resources.

Community‐based natural resource management is a common strategy for conserving biodiversity, but little is known about how such initiatives can scale appropriately and widely. We interviewed 80 experts across 5 widely adopted community‐based initiatives (in Chile, Nepal, Namibia, Madagascar, and Fiji) to understand their perspectives on the drivers of adoption and spread. We used general elimination methodology and diffusion of innovation theory to identify and rule out possible explanations. Factors consistently considered influential were economic and social benefits, compatibility with needs, support and facilitation by extension agencies, and the presence of international organizations. Initiatives aiming to scale should be designed to be flexible and aligned with adopters’ needs, and external organizations should coordinate resources for scaling out. Dependence on external support underscores the need for quality assistance, good practices by external actors, and understanding power relations and fairness, as well as the need to temper donor and policy expectations of scaling beyond supported and appropriate sites.

Protected Area Governance and Management presents a compendium of original text, case studies and examples from across the world, by drawing on the literature, and on the knowledge and experience of those involved in protected areas. The book synthesises current knowledge and cutting-edge thinking from the diverse branches of practice and learning relevant to protected area governance and management. It is intended as an investment in the skills and competencies of people and consequently, the effective governance and management of protected areas for which they are responsible, now and into the future. The global success of the protected area concept lies in its shared vision to protect natural and cultural heritage for the long term, and organisations such as International Union for the Conservation of Nature are a unifying force in this regard. Nonetheless, protected areas are a socio-political phenomenon and the ways that nations understand, govern and manage them is always open to contest and debate. The book aims to enlighten, educate and above all to challenge readers to think deeply about protected areas—their future and their past, as well as their present. The book has been compiled by 169 authors and deals with all aspects of protected area governance and management. It provides information to support capacity development training of protected area field officers, managers in charge and executive level managers.

Involving local people in the sustainable conservation of biodiversity is a global issue that requires urgent attention for better conservation outcomes. Understanding the views of those living next to the protected areas such as community‐based natural resource management (CBNRM) is critical to decision making in achieving the desired conservation goals. This study used a semi‐structured questionnaire approach (self‐administered) in a novel investigation of the perception toward the benefits and costs, and the level of support by local people with differing livelihood strategies to Burunge Wildlife Management Area (BWMA). In total, 302 respondents from the two purposively selected villages out of 10 which form the BWMA were surveyed: Minjingu (147) and Vilima Vitatu (155). We found that the large number of the respondents (73%, n = 170) from the majority agro‐pastoralist group showed a negative perception toward the benefits received from the BWMA. Their negative perception was associated with the cost they experience from BWMA and the long‐term need of the grazing land from the area. On the contrary, respondents from minority groups (i.e., fish mongers, business, and weaving) were significantly positive toward the benefits of the BWMA and its existence, as their livelihood strategies are highly dependent on it. Furthermore, the level of support for the existence of the BWMA was different between the two surveyed villages, which might be due to the level of conflicts they have with its operations. Investigations of local perceptions toward natural resources management should not be limited to the groups in a society that have the majority livelihood strategy, but should also consider those whose livelihood strategies are in the minority and their voices largely ignored. This study examined local perceptions of Burunge Wildlife Management Area (BWMA) in Tanzania using semi‐structured questionnaires with 302 respondents from two villages. Findings revealed that the majority agro‐pastoralist group held negative views of BWMA due to grazing restrictions and associated costs, while minority groups such as fishmongers, businesspeople, and weavers expressed strong support because their livelihoods depend on it. The results highlight the importance of considering both majority and minority livelihood groups in community‐based natural resource management (CBNRM) to achieve equitable and sustainable conservation outcomes.